Anchoring post



F. A. THOMAS ANCHORING POST Feb. 26, 1929.

Filed Feb. 23. 1928 van,

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANKLIN A. THOMAS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ANCHORING POST.

Application led February 23, 1928. Serial No. 256,830.

My invention relates to anchoring posts and articularly to posts ,used for fences and t e like. It is, however, susceptible of modification for use with teleplione or teler'igraph poles and for guys for bracing such One objecteof my invention is to provide a post that may be driven into the ground "readily, firmly hold4 when so driven, and resist action that would tend to loosen or withdraw it from the ground. .A- second object is to provide a post of this character thatl may be set for temporary use, and removed for. service else- 16 where without excavating for such removal. In this connection it is often desirable to erect a temporary fence to enclose a particular area, and with4 my invention the posts so used may be withdrawn from the ground 20 together with the anchor to be described, leaving the shoe of inexpensive character lburied at a depth that will not interfere with cultivation, the post and anchor to be again used with another shoe. With my invention, I use a post of the re uired size together with an anchor attachab e thereto, and a `shoe assembled with the post and anchor, all of which are hereinafter def' scribedI inv detail. When the anchoring st is thus assembled, its position is ocated by driving a bar into the ground to ascertain if there is any obstruction, thus avoiding withdrawal of the post partially driven in' obstructed ground. The post is '35 then driven with afmaul or sled e, 'the yanchor oierin no resistance to suc driv- When driven to the required depth,

' 'the earth is filled in around the post and 'tamped, 'with the result that the anchor is 40 expandedand the elements thereof forced into the earth surrounding the post. The anchor is of such character that any action tending to loosen or withdraw the post,

causes the anchor elements to force further into the` surrounding earth and resist such action. At the Sametime and in similar mannerl the vanchor elements function to brace .the post against tipping, as any1 bending action applied to t e top of the post `causes them to drive deeper on theside in the direction of the strain, while the opposite elements abutA the shoe and o erate a-s a broadened base to resist distur ing the ground, as `shown in Figs. 2 and 7. When a series of posts are thus driven, wires or rails may be Vattached by any convenient'V means to complete the fence. For use with poles orposts of more permanent character, the shoe and anchor may be secured to the ends thereof in this or other suitable manner, and in Fig. 4I have shown a means for applying my invention to a telegraph pole` or other permanent post. l.As it is not feasible to drive in such cases, a post hole is excavatedp and the anchor is used with a modified form of shoe. In the drawings forming a part 0f the specifications herewith, I have illustrated' a referred form of my invention with. m ifcations, and have fully described and claimed the essential" features. I do not4 confinemysel to the construction shown,as, fo ther m AcaL tionsrnay be made within ythe sco claims. In the form shown, I pre er to use for the ost proper, a l h of standard pipe of e required size, bu other material of my suitably formed may be substituted if so desired, the description of the pipe post being equally applicable to sts of otherv material suitably formed meet conditions.

In the' drawings,

Fig. 1 shows an anchoring post in driven position partially tamped.

Fig-2 shows a similar view with the post tamped and the resistance lto undue strain or displacement indicated, if not'unscrewed.

Fig. 3 is a reduced drawing illustrating the action of withdrawing a post' from the ground for subsequent use.

Fig 4 shows my invention applied to a pole end.

Fig. 5 shows its application to .a guy. Figs. 6 and 7 show an anchor in its expanded position.

Fig. 8 shows a reduced view of a section of fence with which m'y invention is used.

In the drawings, the post, here shown as a section of standard ipe, as indicated at 10, is threaded on its ower end at 11,2and screwed into the tapped socket 12 of the shoe 13. This shoe is preferably' provided with a conical'end 14 to facilitatedriving, and wings 15 to prevent Iturning of the shoe in the ground when the post is to be removed as will be hereinafter described. The

po'st 10 is provided with an'abutment, here shown as a nut 16,which..1imits the upward axial movement of the 4anchor relative to thc post, the nut 17 serving a similar purpose to limit the downwardl movement. The anchor unit comprisesa pluralityof arms 18,' journalled on the ring 19 which functions as a hinge, common to all the arms, and of suicient diameter to permit encircling the post without interference with the action of the arms on their hinge. When assembling, the post is passed through the anchor ring', and the nut 17 adjusted relative to the abutment 16, to permit freedom of action ofv the armsI Without undue. axial movement cap 20, in which holes 21 are made, into which a bar may be inserted for the purposes of rotatingthe post. When driven to the required depth, it is advisable to unscrew the post a trifle, which operates to raise the' anchor ring, and drive the ends of the arms into the si of the hole. Holes previously pierced in the ost to provide for fastening means for the ence wires or rails may thus be brought into position in which such fastenin s may be applied. When the surroun ing earth is tamped about the pest, the arms are swung outwardly and forced further into the round, and as above stated, form a base o .relatively large area, which vstabilizes the post against ldisplacement or withdrawal, and bracing the post' against side strain., Referring to 3, when it is desired to removethe post with its anchor,-

V the post proper is rotated within the anchor ring to unscrewlfrom the shoe, the embedded arms preventing rotation'of the anchor, and thel wings 15 the rotation of the v shoe. As the post is unscrewed, itis forced upward, and if the arms ofthe anchor are expanded to the position shownin Fig. 7, thel Anut 17 raises the hinge ring .19,`drawing the arms from the ground and loosening the earth about the postv and the anchor. l It is preferableto employ an abutment on the post 10 [which is conical as at 16 as this operates as a wedge in the surrounding earth, as the post is -forced upward when unscrewed. A

If the arms are not expanded to Atheir ,utmost, the ends are forced into the earth as they become fulcrums in the' upward movement of the hinge. The ultimate' result is the same in that, as the post is withdrawn from` the shoe. the armsI are permitted to 'swing tothe position 18? Fig. 3, in which the ends 26 fall within the periphery ofthe hingejjoints of the arms, and so offer no re# otherV than' that due to the joints themselves. When the arms are in this posi-v tion, the threaded end of the post is about to disengage from the shoe and the earth has :been so loosened that the post with the anchor may be readily withdrawn. In Fig.

4: I have shown the anchor unit applied to a able means thatwill permit the anchor ele-- ments to function in the manner described. For use with guys, I substitute the guy rod 10d for the post 10, the upper end of the guy rod being formed withan eye 28 to which a cable or stay may bel attached. I have found that the anchor arms. function with greater eiiciency if the outer ends are bent as at 26, and the ends sharpenedas at 27, as the arms engage the sides of the, hole and are forced into the surrounding'ground with greater facility in arms of this form. To obviate any tendency ofthe arms interfering with the swinging of one another, I provide the washers 29 between the arms.

Having thus describedl my invention, I claim:

1. An anchoring post comprising a post proper threaded on one end; an anchor'movably secured to the post and comprising `a plurality of arms hinged concentric with the post axis and adapted to swing radially therewith, and limited in its movement as a unit axially on the post; and a shoe socketed and tapped to receive the threaded end ofthe post and provided with anabutment to limitthe radial swing of the arms of thel anchor. v l

2. An anchoring post comprisin a post proper threaded on one end; an anc or movably secured to the post and automatically expansible to resist withdrawal or 'displacementof the post; a shoe socketed and tapped to receive the threaded end of the post land provided with an abutment for limiting the expansion of the anchorwhen normally asf of arms hinged to the` of the postand anchor; a shoe socketed and i y tapped4 to receive the threadedendof the post, and provided with an abutment for imiting Athe swinging vof the arms when the` anchoring post is -normally assembled, the shoe servlng as a base against which the post may react when unscrewed therefrom, for the purpose of forcing the post and anchor upwardly and away from the abutment, permitting the arms to swing beyond normal position and downwardly against the post, as the post and anchor are withdrawn from the shoe and surrounding ground.

4. An anchoring post comprising a post proper threaded on one end; an'anc'hor movably secured to the post and comprising a plurality of arms hinged concentric with the post axis and adapted to swing radially therewith, for theA urpose of engaging the surrounding ground toresist withdrawal or displacement of the post and anchor; a shoe socketed and tapped to receive the threaded end of the post, and provided with an yabutment for limiting thel swinging of thearms when the anchoring post is normally assembled, the vshoe serving as a base' against which the post may react when unscrewcd therefrom, for the purpose of forcing the post and anchor upwardly and away from the abutment, permitting the arms to swing beyond normal position and downwardly against the post, as the post and anchor are withdrawn from the shoe and 'surrounding ground. v

FRANKLIN A. THOMAS. 

